Ina Garten White Bean Salad

Ina Garten’s white bean salad combines tender cannellini beans, sun-dried tomatoes, and crisp prosciutto with peppery arugula. Lemon zest and juice keep every bite bright instead of heavy. The dish takes about 1 hour and 35 minutes start to finish and serves 6.

This recipe comes from Ina Garten’s cookbook Barefoot Contessa Foolproof, built around dried beans instead of canned ones. She simmers them with sautéed onion until tender, then pours hot oil infused with garlic, rosemary, and prosciutto over the beans. That hot-oil pour sets her version apart from a basic bean salad.

Letting the beans cool too long before adding lemon juice is the real risk here. Garten stirs in the zest, juice, salt, and pepper while the beans are still warm so they absorb the acid. Warm beans have open pores that let dressing soak in, which is why room-temperature beans taste flatter.

Ina Garten White Bean Salad

Author: Imen Cooking Method:Stovetop Cuisine:American Courses:Salads

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 40 minutesCook time: 55 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:1 hour 35 minutesCooking Temp: CServings:6 servingsEstimated Cost: $Calories:310 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

This salad starts with dried cannellini beans soaked overnight, not the canned shortcut most recipes use. The warm beans get plated over a ring of baby arugula rather than tossed together, so the greens stay crisp.

Ingredients

Beans

• 3/4 pound dried cannellini beans
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, for sautéing
  
• 1 red onion, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch half-rounds
  

Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
  
• 2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and small-diced
  
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
  
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
  
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  
• 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, small-diced
  
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

To Finish

• 2 ounces baby arugula

Instructions

1. Soak the beans overnight in water to cover by 2 inches. Drain, rinse, and drain again.
   
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and sauté the onion 7 to 9 minutes until wilted. Add the beans and water to cover by 3 inches, bring to a boil, skim, then simmer 45 minutes until tender. Drain.
   
3. Heat the remaining 1/2 cup of oil and cook the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, pepper flakes, and prosciutto 4 to 5 minutes until fragrant.
   
4. Pour the hot oil mixture over the warm beans and toss. Cool 10 minutes, then stir in the lemon zest, juice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
   
5. Spoon the beans into a shallow bowl, surround with arugula, and serve warm or at room temperature.
   

Keywords:Ina Garten White Bean Salad

FAQs

Can I use canned beans instead of dried?

Yes, three 15-ounce cans of cannellini beans work as a substitute for the dried version. Canned beans are already cooked, so skip the soaking and simmering steps entirely. Just rinse them well and warm them in the onion and oil mixture for a few minutes before adding the dressing.

Why prosciutto instead of bacon?

Prosciutto brings a delicate, salty flavor that doesn’t overpower the beans the way bacon’s smoke can. It crisps quickly in hot oil without rendering much fat, which keeps the dressing from turning greasy. If you swap in bacon, cook it first and drain off most of the fat before adding the other ingredients.

How long can this sit before the arugula wilts?

Arugula wilts fast once it touches the warm beans, usually within 30 minutes. For meal prep, store the bean mixture and the greens in separate containers in the fridge. Combine them only right before serving so the arugula keeps its peppery crunch instead of turning soggy.

What if my beans take longer than 45 minutes to cook?

Bean cooking time depends heavily on their age, since older dried beans take noticeably longer to soften. Start checking for doneness at the 40-minute mark and keep simmering in 10-minute intervals until they’re creamy throughout. Adding salt too early can also toughen the skins, so season only after the beans are fully tender.

What pairs well alongside this salad for a potluck?

This salad is rich enough to share the table with something easy to scoop before the meal starts. White Bean Dip uses the same cannellini beans, rosemary, and lemon, so the flavors echo without repeating the dish. Set it out with pita or crudité while the salad finishes cooling.